Improvement in magazine-guns



UNITED STATES PATENT rrrcn.

EDMUND H. GRAHAM, OF BIDDEFORD, MAINE.

Spccilication forming part of Letters Patent N o. 1-0,0S4, dated October4, 1853.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND H. GRAHAM, of Biddeford, in the county ofYork and State ot Maine, have invented a new or Improved Magazine Gun orFire-Arm, and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described andrepresented in the following specification, and the accompanyingdrawings, letters, figures, and references thereof.

Of the said drawings, Figure l denotes a side view of my improvedlire-arm; Fig. 2, a horizontal and longitudinal section of it. Fig. 3 isa vertical and central section of it. Fig. 4 is a front-side View of therotary magazine as it appears with its cover-plate removed. Fig. 5 is arear-side view of such magazine. Fig. 6 is a rear-side view of it andthat part of* the gun to which it is applied. Figs. 7 and 8 are sideviews of the rotary charge-receiver.

In the said drawings, A denotes the barrel of the gun 5 B, the stock; O,the percussion hammer or cock; and D, the percussion-cap, nipple, orcone, the latter being arranged on the top or upper part of the barrel.

The rotary magazine is seen at E. It is arranged on the side of thebarrel, and is circular in shape, and made to rotate or turn on ascrew-pin or journal, F, that projects from the barrel. This magazine isprovided with a series of cylindrical cavities, a a a, Ste., disposed atequal distances apart, and in a circle. These cavities are to containthe charges of powder. There is also formed in the magazine acorresponding number of cavities, b b, 85e., which are likewise arrangedin a circle which is concentric with and within that of the cavities c aa, Sac. ties b is made of a depth sufeient to contain the ball or chargeof shot, sufficient for the charge in its corresponding powder-cavity.

The magazine rests against a circular plate, G, that is fastened orapplied to the side of the gun-barrel. Through this plate and the barreltwo passages, H I, Fig. 2, are formed, so as to respectively communicatewith a powder-cavity, a, and its corresponding ball-cavity b of themagazine, and receive the charges therefrom when the axes of the severalpassages or cavities are vertical or at an inclination to the horizon,such as will cause the Each of these cavisaid charges to pass by theforce of gravity from these cavities into the said passages.

Within the rear part of the barrel is the secondary short barrel orrotary charge-receiver K, which is made cylindrical and to fit and turnwithin the main barrel. It has passages L M made through one side of it,and adapted to receive the charges of powder and ball and convey theminto its interior or bore c, that opens into and is placed in line withthe bore ofthe main barrel. Such chargereceiver turns or rotatestransversely far enough to carry its receiving-passages entirely by thepassages H I.

The movement of the charge-receiver K, which is a reciprocating one, iseffected by mechanism connected with the trigger-guard N. This guardturns freely at its front end on the tumbler-axle d of the cock, and soas to enable the rear end of the guard to be moved from against thestock down into the position shown in Fig. l by dotted lines. An arm, c,projects from the front end of the guard, and has an arc, f, of cogs orteeth formed on one side of it, they being made to engage with agear-wheel, g, iiXed on the turning shaft or journal 71, of the rotarycharge-receiver. By moving the trigger-guard we affect that of thecharge-receiver. Besides this, when We move the trigger-guard away fromthe stock we rotate the magazine and elevate the cock.

The rotation of the magazine is eii'ected by a spring-pawl or pitman, i,that is jointed to the trigger-guard at one end, and works at its otherend with a series of depressors, lo 7c k, Ste., formed in a circle inthe rear side of the magazine. A spring-retaining pawl, Z, elevated tothe plate G, works through the plate, and with a second set ofdepressors, m m m, Ste., formed in the rear side of the. magazine. Thislatter pawl serves to hold the magazine in place at the termination ofeach movement of it effected by the impelling-pawl z'.

The mode of elevating' the cock by means of the trigger-guard may bethus explained: The front part of the end or portion of thetrigger-guard that turns on the tumbler-axle has a slot, u, made throughit, as seen in Figs. 3 and 9, the latter being a front view of the upperend of the trigger-guard. A stud or pin, o, is made to extend from theaxle of the tumbler'ot' the cock and through the said slot. When thetrigger-guard is depressed or moved away from the stock the lower end ofthe slot n is brought to bear against the pin o, and so as to elevatethe cock during such downward movement of the trigger-guard. The cockbeing elevated high enough for the trigger to snap into the notch ot'the tumbler in the usual way, it will be held up by the trigger. Duringthe return movement of the trigger-guard the slot n moves freely on thepin 0. The upper part of the trigger, together with the mainspring Q andtumbler, are represented by dotted lines in Fig. l.

The operation of the gun is as follows By depressing the tri gger-guard,the charge-receiver and magazine are simultaneously rotated, the formerfar enough for the reception of the charges of powder and ball or shot,and the latter so as to carry a load of such powder and ball or shotdirectly into line with the connectingpassages of the barrel. By turningthe gun a littlea load will pass from the magazine into thecharge-receiver. This done, the trigger-guard is to be moved up to thestock7 and while this takes place it rotates back the chargereceiver soas to close the passages that convey the load through the side of thebarrel and bring the nipple or cone passage into communication with thepowder in the charge-receiver. On pulling the trigger a discharge ofthegun will take place. This operation may be repeated while there areloads in the magazine.

I do not claim as my invention a rotary magazine connected with thebarrel of a tirearm, such being in common use in repeatingguns; but

1. The combination ot' the rotary charge-receiver with the rotarymagazine and the barrel of the gun, so as to operate substantially inmanner and for the purpose as set forth.

2. And I also claim to' so combine the percussion hammer or cock and therotary magazine with the trigger-guard that by the movement of the saidguard awayfrom the stock they may be simultaneously put in motion and'the l1 am mer brought n p to full-cock, as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my signature this 80th day ofApril, A. D. 1853.

EDMUND H. GRAHAM;

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, FRANCIS GoULD.

